1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission system and coding communication method for a transmission system capable of transmitting information by transmitting and receiving signals between a plurality of modules installed at different positions.
2. Related Art of the Invention
For a practical and optimum sophisticated road traffic system to be realized, the following five factors are considered crucial.
1. Possibility of measuring the following distance of vehicles
2. Possibility of drive support
3. Possibility of automatic drive
4. Possibility of communication from the vehicle
5. Possibility of inter-vehicle communication
The situation of the prior art for each of the above-mentioned five factors will be explained.
As to a vehicle for which the following distance is measurable as in (1) above, though not currently available, provision of a laser measuring instrument, an ultrasonic measuring instrument or the like would make it possible to measure the following distance. The measurement of the following distance is indispensable for the factors (2) and (3).
As to the items (2) and (3) above relating to the drive support and the automatic drive, respectively, there is not any means currently available. Research is under way in each organization for a drive support or an automatic drive system with a computer mounted on a vehicle using a method unique to each organization. Details of the research, however, are unknown.
The use of a portable telephone or the like can realize the factors (4) and (5). Also, the radio or the like equipment permits acquisition of information on traffic congestion or the like.
The above-mentioned methods, however, require realization of the five factors separately from each other, and it is impossible to realize an overall efficient road traffic system.
Especially, the factor (4) has no relation with the factors (1) to (3), and it seem that they can be processed independently of each other. If information to be communicated is of the type used with a navigator, however, the factor (4) may be related to the factors (1) to (3). It is not efficient, therefore, to realize the above-mentioned five factor independently of each other but an overall integrated system is desirably built up. By doing so, the road conditions can be accurately grasped, and the information used with the navigator can be generated based on the road conditions, thereby making it possible to supply information much more useful than the information obtained from the CD ROM or the like.
Also, in the case where a vehicle performs a communication, or especially, in the case where information on automatic drive or the like is transmitted or received between the vehicle and other stations, a multiplicity of vehicles running on a road undesirably transmit a high-output radio wave.
Taking this problem into consideration, the object of the present invention is to provide a transmission system capable of realizing the above-mentioned five factors in a single system.
One aspect of the present invention for solving this problem comprises a plurality of modules installed at different positions along a predetermined road, and is characterized in that each of the plurality of said modules includes a receiving means of receiving an input signal and a transmission means of transmitting an output signal based on said input signal in accordance with a predetermined radio scheme, and each of the plurality of said modules receives and transmits a signal thereby to transmit the whole or part of the information contained in said signal along the whole or part of said predetermined road.
By the way, said predetermined radio scheme can be the one for radio communication using radio wave, light, laser, sound wave or ultrasonic wave.
Another aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of modules installed at different positions along a predetermined route, and is characterized in that each of the plurality of said modules includes receiving means of receiving an input signal in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme and a transmission means of transmitting an output signal receivable only by at least one another module based on said input signal in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme, and each of the plurality of said modules receives and transmits a signal thereby to transmit the whole or part of the information contained in said signal along the whole or part of said predetermined route.
Still another aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of modules installed at different positions along a predetermined route, and is characterized in that each of the plurality of said modules includes a receiving means of receiving an input signal of a radio wave having a predetermined carrier frequency and a transmission means of transmitting an output signal of a radio wave having a carrier frequency different from said predetermined carrier frequency based on said input signal in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme, and each of the plurality of said modules receives and transmits a signal thereby to transmit the whole or part of the information contained in said signal along the whole or part of said predetermined route.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of modules installed at different positions along a predetermined route, and is characterized in that each of the plurality of said modules includes a receiving means of receiving an input signal and a transmission means of transmitting an output signal based on said input signal in accordance with a predetermined radio scheme, each of the plurality of said modules receives and transmits a signal thereby to transmit the whole or part of the information contained in said signal along the whole or part of said predetermined route, and each of the plurality of said modules further includes a mobile unit detection means of detecting the presence or absence of a mobile unit moving along said predetermined route.
By the way, an arrangement can be made in which the receiving means of each of the plurality of said modules can receive as said input signal the output signal transmitted from the transmission means of another module adjacent to said first module having said receiving means, and the transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can transmit said output signal in such a manner as to be received by the receiving means of at least still one another module adjacent to said first module having said transmission means and different from the module having the transmission means that has transmitted the output signal received as an input signal by the receiving means of said first module.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which the receiving means of each of the plurality of modules can receive, as said input signal, the output signal transmitted from the transmission means of another module adjacent to said module having said receiving means and the output signal transmitted from the transmission means of at least still another module adjacent to said first module and different from said another module, and the transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can transmit said output signal in such a manner as to be received by the receiving means of at least still another module adjacent to said first module and different from the module having the transmission means that has transmitted the output signal received as an input signal by the receiving means of said first module.
Further, an arrangement can be made in which said transmission means or said receiving means of each of the plurality of said modules can have such a directivity as to transmit said output signal to a predetermined transmission range or receive said input signal from a predetermined receiving range.
A still further aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of modules installed at different positions along a predetermined route, and is characterized in that each of the plurality of said modules includes a first receiving means of receiving a first input signal from another module and a first transmission means of transmitting a first output signal based on said first input signal in accordance with a first radio scheme, each of the plurality of said modules receives and transmits a signal thereby to transmit the whole or part of the information contained in said signal along the whole or part of said predetermined route, and each of the plurality of said modules further includes a second receiving means of receiving a second input signal from a mobile unit moving along said predetermined route and/or a second transmission means of transmitting a second output signal to said mobile unit according to a second radio scheme.
By the way, each of said first and second radio schemes can be the one for radio communication using radio wave, light, laser, sound wave or ultrasonic wave.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which the first receiving means of each of the plurality of said modules can receive, as said first output signal, the first output signal transmitted from the first transmission means of another module adjacent to said first module having the first receiving means, and in which the first transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can transmit said first output signal in such a manner as to be received by the first receiving means of at least still one another module adjacent to said first module having the first transmission means and different from the module having the first transmission means that has transmitted the first output signal received as the first input signal by the first receiving means of said first module.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which the first receiving means of each of the plurality of said modules can receive, as said first input signal, the first output signal transmitted from the first transmission means of another module adjacent to said first module having the first receiving means and the first output signal transmitted from the first transmission means of at least still one another module adjacent to said module and different from said another module, and in which the first transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can transmit said first output signal in such a manner as to be received by the first receiving means of at least still one another module adjacent to said first module having the first transmission means and different from the module having the first transmission means that has transmitted the first output signal received as the first input signal by the first receiving means of said first module.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which the second transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can transmit said second output signal based on the first input signal received by the first receiving means of said first module having the second transmission means, and in which the first transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can transmit said first output signal based on the first and second input signals received by the first and second receiving means, respectively, of said first module having the first transmission means.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which the first output signal transmitted by the first transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can contain a module identifier for identifying said module that has transmitted said first output signal.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which the second input signal received by the second receiving means of each of the plurality of said modules can contain a mobile unit identifier for identifying a mobile unit that has transmitted the second input signal.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which each of the plurality of said modules further comprises a transfer synchronizing means for generating a sync signal based on a sync clock or a reference signal contained in the first input signal received by said first receiving means, and in which the first transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can transmit said first output signal in accordance with the sync signal generated by said transfer synchronizing means.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which said mobile unit further comprises a communication synchronizing means for generating a sync signal based on said sync clock or said reference signal contained in said second output signal, and in which the transmission means of said mobile unit can transmit said second input signal in accordance with the sync signal generated by said communication synchronizing means.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which each of the plurality of said modules further comprises a priority information detection means for detecting predetermined priority information from the first and/or second input signal received by the first and/or second receiving means, respectively, of said module, and in which the first transmission means of said module can further transmit said first output signal based on the result of the detection by said priority information detection means.
Also, each of the plurality of said modules can be installed along said predetermined route in such a manner that at least one of them is located for each length of said mobile unit in the direction of movement thereof.
Also, each of the plurality of said modules can be installed equidistantly along said predetermined route.
Also, said mobile unit can include a transmission means and/or a receiving means communicable with one of the plurality of said modules located between the forward end and the rear end of said mobile unit.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which said mobile unit further include an extraction means for extracting the information addressed to said mobile unit from the second output signal transmitted from said second transmission means and received by the receiving means of said mobile unit, the second input signal transmitted to said second receiving means from the transmission means of said mobile unit can contain the extracted information by which the specific information extracted by said extraction means can be identified, and the first transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can further transmit said first output signal based on said extracted information.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which the first receiving means of each of the plurality of said modules can receive said first input signal of a radio wave of a predetermined carrier frequency in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme, and the first transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can transmit said first output signal of a radio wave of a carrier frequency different from said predetermined carrier frequency in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which the first receiving means of each of the plurality of said modules is a first radio receiving means connected with a first receiving antenna having such a directivity as to receive said first input signal in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme, in which the second receiving means of each of the plurality of said modules is a second radio receiving means connected with a second receiving antenna having such a directivity as to receive said second input signal in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme, in which the first transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules is a first radio transmission means connected with a first transmission antenna having such a directivity as to transmit said first output signal in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme, and in which the second transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules is a second radio transmission means connected with a second transmission antenna having such a directivity as to transmit said second output signal in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme.
Also, an arrangement can be made in which the first and second receiving means of each of the plurality of said modules can share a radio receiving means for receiving said first and second input signals, respectively, in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme, and in which the first and second transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules can share a radio transmission means for transmitting said first and second output signals, respectively, in accordance with a radio wave communication scheme.
Also, each of the plurality of said modules can further include a mobile unit detection means for detecting the presence or absence of said mobile unit within a predetermined range from said module.
Also, each of the plurality of said modules or said mobile unit can further include an inter-mobile unit distance measuring section for measuring the distance between mobiles units including said mobile unit based on the result of detection by said mobile unit detection means.
Also, said predetermined route can be a road, a corridor in a building, a route in a factory, a railway, a route in a parking lot, a route in a room, a route in a warehouse, a course of a ship or a route in an airport.
Further, said mobile unit can be an automotive vehicle, a person having a portable telephone, an automatic cart in a factory, a train or an airplane.
Further taking the above-mentioned problems into consideration, the object of another present invention is to provide a coding communication method for a transmission system capable of realizing the above-mentioned five factors with high accuracy and precision with a single system.
For solving the above problems the another present invention offers such a communication coding method for a transmission system comprising a plurality of modules installed at different positions along a predetermined route, each of said plurality of the modules including a receiving means for receiving an input signal and a transmission means for transmitting an output signal on the basis of said input signal in accordance with a predetermined radio scheme, characterized in that each of said plurality of the modules receives and transmits a signal asynchronously or synchronously thereby to transmit the whole or part of the information contained in said signal along the whole or part of said predetermined route.